Restorative Practices
"A way of being with people that puts relationships first."
Restorative Practices is a field within the social sciences that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities.
The Benefits of Restorative Practices involves supportive ways for students and staff to build/repair positive relationships in a helpful environment that is consistent and fair. These practices help students to learn how to communicate more successfully with one another, learn new skills, and solve problems in a safe/open space.
What is Restorative Practice?
Restorative Practice is about making things right when there are problems between people.
It helps students and teachers get along better by talking openly and solving problems together.
Restorative practice helps make our schools safer and kinder places.
It teaches students to understand their actions and take responsibility for them.
It encourages empathy and respect for others.
The Fundamental Hypothesis of Restorative Practices
The belief that human beings are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things WITH THEM, rather than to them or for them. The nature of the process, not the outcome, makes the response restorative or not.
The AIM of Restorative practices is to develop community and to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships.
Fair Process
The central idea is that individuals are most likely to trust and cooperate freely with systems whether they themselves win or lose by those systems when fair process is observed.
(W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne, Harvard Business Review, January 2003)
Restorative Practices Continuum
The Restorative Practice Continuum provides a variety of approaches that range from less formal to more formal that support well-being by building, strengthening, responding to, repairing, and restoring relationships.
How Restorative Practices Can Help Your Child
Students have been and will continue to be involved in group activities called “Circles” in class with their teachers and other trained school officials.
Students have been and will continue to be involved in group activities called “Circles” in class with their teachers and other trained school officials.
At the Middle and High School levels, they may also work with their Restorative Practice Facilitator.
These circles are groups that get together to give students a chance to talk about how they feel and what they think about specific topics and concerns.
When conflicts happen, we see them as chances to learn and solve problems together. Research shows that using these practices can reduce bullying, fights, and suspensions.
What can parents/family members do to help at home?
Parents can use the key questions at home with their child to help them reflect on
concerns they may have had at school or home.
Parents can discuss these circles with their children and what they learned.
Parents can talk about feelings with their child(ren) and have family circles of their own.
Social Discipline Window
The Social Discipline Window is a framework within restorative practices that helps educators and those in authority understand and improve their interactions with students by balancing high control/limit setting with high support/encouragement, moving away from punitive or neglectful approaches.
Key Questions To Ask ...
What happened?
What were you thinking of at the time?
What have you thought about since?
Who has been affected by what you have done?
In what way have they been affected?
What do you think you need to do to make things right?
Contacts
Sherry Cowburn
Reading High School
cowburns@readingsd.org
484-258-700 ext. 81370
Kelly Debiec
Northwest Middle School
debieck@readingsd.org
484-258-700 ext. 52118
Jennifer Dougherty
Southern Middle School
doughertyj@readingsd.org
484-258-700 ext. 51207
Cerisse Foster
Northeast Middle School
fosterce@readingsd.org
484-258-700 ext. 53402
Catherine Schultz
Southwest Middle School
schultzc@readingsd.org
484-258-700 ext. 54902
Lael Schwartz
Central Middle School
schwartl@readingsd.org
484-258-700 ext. 44691